Michelangelo's Rome, 450 Years Later

What better way to celebrate Michelangelo's long life and immense body of work, than spending the 450th anniversary of his death taking a tour of his works. If you're lucky enough to be in his hometown of Florence today, you'll have even more opportunity to do so. But here in Rome, where Michelangelo lived and worked for much of his life, there's still a lot to see.

It is not often that one of an artist's earliest works becomes appreciated as one of his greatest masterpieces, but such is the case with the Pietà, sculpted in the last years of the 15th century, when Michelangelo was barely 25 years old.

Detail of the Pietà, Michelangelo, St. Peter's Basilica, Rome [source]

So much could be––and has been––said about this work, that I can't even scratch the surface in this little post, so I won't try. One curiosity is that it is the only work that Michelangelo ever signed, according to legend because he was frustrated that he was not receiving the proper recognition for the work, as he was new to Rome when he created it, and not yet well known there. He did this in secret, after the work had been completed and presented, and in fact, he was in such a hurry that he made a few mistakes! If you look closely you can see that he even misspelled his own name, leaving out a few letters and inserting them inside of others. I guess no one is perfect, although he came as close as anyone on Earth ever did, I'd wager.

Detail of the Pietà, signature, Michelangelo, St. Peter's Basilica [source]

After a stint in Florence, during which Michelangelo sculpted the David, he was back in Rome and working, against his will, on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, from 1508 to 1512. There are probably close to 7 trillion blog posts about the Sistine Chapel, so I won't bore you with another, but I will post my absolute favorite image from the ceiling. This glorious lady is the Libyan Sybil, called Phemonoe, who foretold of the "coming of the day when that which is hidden will be revealed." I have stood in the Sistine Chapel over one thousand times, and of the some three hundred figures on the ceiling, this is the one that has struck me over and over.

The Libyan Sybil, detail from the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo 

[source]

Sometimes looking at a great artist's plans and sketches is more revealing that looking at the finished version. Here are Michelangelo's studies for the Libyan Sybil.

Studies for the Libyan Sybil, Michelangelo [source]

The great tragedy of Michelangelo's life was that, due to forces beyond his control, he was never given the time and space to complete the tomb of Pope Julius II, the work that he believed was going to make his career and put him on the map. He of course couldn't know that he would one day be remembered as one of the greatest––if not the greatest––artists who ever lived, and he didn't need the tomb to prove that. His only completed figure of the planned tomb is the Moses, and it is only by standing in front it that you can get a true sense of its power and majesty. It is almost unbelievable that Michelangelo made drastic changes to this work, specifically changing the positioning of the left leg.

Moses, Michelangelo, San Pietro in Vincoli church, Rome [source]

I love this whimsical drawing of what it might have been like to witness Michelangelo at work on the Moses. Somehow I doubt he would have had knights and nobles loitering around his studio while he worked, and since the work was sculpted between 1513 and 1515, this image makes the artist look a little old. But it does give you the idea of the size of the great work.

[source]

It's impossible to call any work by Michelangelo "little known," but in Rome, at least this one might come close. After delighting in Gian Lorenzo Bernini's Elefantino in the piazza outside, venture inside the glorious Gothic church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva (with its starry blue ceiling that looks something like what the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel looked like before our hero got his hands on it), to find the Risen Christ, sculpted by Michelangelo between 1519 and 1521.

The Risen Christ, Michelangelo, Santa Maria sopra Minerva church, Rome [source]

From 1536 to 1541, Michelangelo found himself back in the Sistine Chapel frescoing another colossal work of art. The Last Judgement is about as different from the chapel's ceiling as one work can be from another by the same artist. Sadly, by the 1530s, the Renaissance was over, and the Counter Reformation had come to Rome. What did that mean for art? Lots of hell and damnation to scare those naughty Protestants into coming back to the Mother Church. And it also meant that shortly after Michelangelo's death, this work would be vandalized by Daniele da Volterra (but don't blame him; he was forced to do it), who added lots of scarves and other modest coverings to some of the more scandalous figures.

The Last Judgement, Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel [source]

Don't forget that Michelangelo was not only a sculptor and a frescoist; he was an architect too. Talk about a Renaissance man! From 1536 to 1546, more or less the same period he was working on The Last Judgement, Michelangelo was also redesigning the entire Capitoline Area, reversing the orientation of the square so that it turned its back on the ancient ruins of Rome's past, and looked instead toward the Vatican, and providing the Palazzo Senatorio with a new Renaissance facade. He also designed the glorious starburst pavement in the center of the square (which I love so much that I chose it as my wedding symbol), and which was not actually laid out as Michelangelo had desired until 1940.

Piazza del Campidoglio, Michelangelo, Rome [source]

In 1547, Michelangelo began designs for the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. This would be his last major work, and for the twelve years that he worked on it, he refused to receive any payment. He realized that his life was drawing to a close, and he chose to create this masterpiece for the glory of God alone, as a kind of final offering. Although the dome was not completed until after his death, his designs were adhered to with only a few exceptions.

Dome of St. Peter's Basilica, Michelangelo [source]

Michelangelo's very last project, built between 1562 and his death in 1564, is the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, an ingenious structure in which he created a Renaissance church out of a section of the ruins of the Roman bath complex, the Terme di Diocleziano. It is a stunning place to visit, however, some unfortunate "restorations" in 1749 by Luigi Vanvitelli take away significantly from the simple harmony of Michelangelo's design.

Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, Michelangelo, Rome [source]

This list is not quite conclusive of the works by Michelangelo in Rome. To be exhaustive, I'd have to add Palazzo Farnese, a project Michelangelo took over after Antonio da Sangallo, the arch of Via Giulia, that was originally meant to be a private bridge across the Tiber, just for the Farnese family, to link their palace with their "country" home, Villa Farnesina, and of course the magnificent frescoes in the Pauline Chapel in the Vatican. The Pauline Chapel is, alas, not open to the public and its unlikely that it ever will be, as it is the pope's private chapel. But we can dream, right?

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How Conclave works: all the Rules and Rituals of the Papal Election

Sistine Chapel ready for Conclave

This historic conclave, the first in nearly 600 years during which the previous pope is still alive, will begin Tuesday, 12 March. If you read my last conclave post (and kudos to you if you did), you are now familiar with the history of conclave and how it evolved over the years. Now you want to know exactly what goes on in that secret, boys-only ritual that decides the most influential man in the Catholic world, the successor of St. Peter, and the Vicar of Christ on Earth?

Well, read on, dear bloglings, read on.

For those of you who like superlatives, it should be noted that the Papal Conclave is the longest on-going process of choosing the leader of any institution. I think that is what makes it so exciting. The sense of continuity is one of the things I find so fascinating about Rome in general, and conclave is a part of that. Being present in the square for the Habemus Papam, regardless of your religion or views on the papacy, is a way to participate in that 954-year tradition and be a part of history.

As you already know, only cardinals can elect the pope, although not all of them. Any cardinal over 80 is barred from participating in conclave, and therefore much less likely to be elected. In all practicality it is unthinkable in our time that someone not participating in conclave would be elected. But in fact, the rules make any confirmed Catholic male eligible to be elected pope, but it hasn’t happened since 1378. It’s about as likely as a write-in candidate winning the presidency. Part of the reason for the age limit is so that the new pope will not be excessively old when he takes office.

This time around, there are 115 cardinal-electors participating. That number would have been 117, but 2 voting-age cardinals have requested not to participate: Cardinal Julius Riyadi Darmaamadja of Jakarta, Indonesia, for health reasons, and—much more scandalous—Cardinal Keith O’Brien of Edinburgh Scotland, who resigned his position a few weeks ago after accusations (which he later confirmed) arose regarding his inappropriate sexual behavior toward a number of other priests.

Ordinarily, after the death of a pope, a mourning period of 15 days is observed before conclave can begin. Pope Emeritus (aka the Artist Formerly Known as Pope Benedict XVI) made a last-minute change in conclave rules before officially stepping down on 28 February, eliminating that waiting period in his case, since clearly there was no death to mourn.

With the expectation that conclave would begin sometime this coming week, two very important things have been going on in Vatican City this past week. Firstly, as the cardinals arrive from all corners of the globe, they have been participating in General Congregation meetings. These amount to an abbreviated campaign period in which the cardinals can speak about the issues that need to be considered in regard to the choosing of the new pope, and as pertain to the future of the Church. I have been following my friend and AP journalist Patricia Thomas’ posts on her blog Mozzarella Mamma for all the details regarding these meetings. Papal Spokesman Father Federico Lombardi holds daily press conferences for accredited journalists in which important news is imparted, although the cardinals are held to a vow of secrecy for the General Congregation meetings just as for conclave itself. I learned from Trisha that perhaps the most important part of the meetings are the lengthy coffee breaks during which the cardinals have a change to get to know each other better and discuss their ideas face to face. Both cardinal-electors and –non-electors are welcome to participate in these meetings. It was during the 8^th General Congregation Friday that the starting date of conclave was voted on.

The other important process taking place all week is, of course, the preparation of the Sistine Chapel. The chapel closed to the public on Tuesday 5 March at 1:15pm. You might be wondering how it could possibly take a week to prepare for an election room. Just set up some tables and call it done! Well, there are—as you might have imagined—many regulations to follow. Nothing about conclave is arbitrary. An Apostolic Constitution regulates every detail of the ritual.

Sistine Chapel floor platform being prepared for Conclave

Firstly, a platform of wood, supported by metal tubes, is erected and covered with beige carpeting. This serves several purposes. First, it protects the ornate marble floor from damage by the stove. (There is in fact a small orange stain on one of the pale floor tiles that was stained in a previous conclave.) It also creates a level surface, as there are a few steps and ramps in the chapel that would make setting up long tables impossible. Lastly, the raised surface symbolizes the idea that the cardinals must not be tied down with Earthly concerns during the election. 

Preparing the Conclave stoves in the Sala Regia. CBS News

Another necessity during conclave is the stove that burns the ballots. In fact, there are two stoves. One burns the ballots after every two voting sessions, and the other is fed with chemicals that produce the tell-tale smoke that will signal to the city of Rome and the world whether that balloting has produced a pope. The emission of black smoke tells us there is no new pope, and white smoke means there is. The smoke of both stoves travels up a copper pipe that exits the chapel through the window in the southeast corner of the chapel. The chimney stack was set up yesterday and the chapel has been swept for bugs and recording devices, although it has not been reported that any were found.

Conclave stoves in the Sistine Chapel 

With the combination of the media coverage and the popularity of Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons, everyone knows by now that the word conclave comes from the Latin, con clave (with key), called such because since the 13^th century, the cardinal-electors have been ceremoniously locked up during the election, to prevent endless indecision and outside interference, and to secure secrecy. To this day the chapel is literally locked and sealed while the cardinals are inside.

Sistine Chapel prepared for conclave

As you may know if you’ve ever visited the Sistine Chapel, it has five doorways. One, is a tourist entrance from the Vatican Museums, two are tourist exits, one leading back into the museums, and one to St. Peter’s. These three doors have already been locked and sealed for the entirely of conclave. (According to Mozzarella Mamma, they were sealed with Scotch tape!)  A fourth door leads to the Sala del Pianto, or the Room of Tears (we’ll get back to that later). And the ceremonial and most important entrance is the set of double doors that leads to the Sala Regia, or Royal Hall, guarded by Swiss Guards (on the other side) at all times, which will be sealed during voting only.

But a question that often comes up is, where to the Cardinals eat and sleep? From what I can discover, there was never a time in which all the cardinal-electors were confined to the Sistine Chapel only for the entire conclave. However, all the way up to the 21^st century, they were housed in the Apostolic Palace, both inside the Sistine Chapel and in the Sala Regia. They did not have private rooms, but instead in little temporary cubicles that were furnished with nothing more than a cot and a washbasin, with only one bathroom for every ten electors (or, in earlier times, each cardinal had his own chamber pot). Food was brought in through a small door near the Pauline Chapel, as can be seen on this floor plan showing each cardinal’s allotted space during the conclave of 1550. 

Floorplan of Cardinal's cells, Conclave of 1550, Vatican Secret Archives

In Crystal King’s blog post, The Renaissance Papal Conclave: What did they eat?, she reports that pies, whole chickens and the like were banned by 1550 because it was too easy to hide secret messages (probably bribes) inside. For fans of The Borgias, you’ll remember this is exactly what was depicted as happening in the 1492 election. Also, to preserve secrecy, the windows would be closed and shuttered at all times.

Quoted in the book Conclave, by John L. Allen, Jr., Cardinal Siri (who was nearly elected instead of John Paul II) recalls of the conclave of August 1978,

            We were dying of heat, asphyxiation seemed to be getting the upper hand and I noticed that some cardinals were on the verge of collapse. Then I rebelled, … I said, ‘I order you to open the windows.’ Some responded, ‘Eminence, it is not permitted to open the windows.’

Eventually the cardinal got his way and the windows were opened, but it was the last time the electors were forced to sleep in semi-private cells in the Apostolic palace. The Casa Santa Marta is a residence inside the Vatican built specifically to house the cardinals during conclave. It was used for the first time during the conclave of 2005. The rooms are simply furnished and host two cardinals each. Much like in first-year college dorms, the cardinals do not get to pick their roommates.

Typical cardinal's room at Santa Marta's

So now we’ve covered what happens leading up to conclave. But what about during? In this case, following a Mass for the Election of a New Pontiff in St. Peter’s Basilica Tuesday morning, the cardinal-electors will be transferred to the Apostolic Palace where they will gather for prayer in the Pauline Chapel at 3:35pm. At 4:30 they will enter the Sistine Chapel singing Veni Creator Spiritus, a 9^th-century hymn that invokes the Holy Spirit. It is believed that the Holy Spirit chooses the new pope through the cardinals. 

Cardinals prepare to enter Sistine Chapel for Conclave, Sala Regia. 17 April 2005
© Arturo Mari/AFP/Getty Images

The cardinal-electors will be administered an oath in which they make vows of secrecy as well as not to communicate with the outside world. (A new, very 21^st-century rule has been added that bans the cardinals from communicating by Twitter or any other digital means.) At this point, Piero Marini, the Master of the Papal Liturgical Celebrations calls, “Extra omnes!” (everybody else, out!) and anyone not participating in conclave will be kicked out and Marini will close the doors. The cardinals will then be led in a brief meditation by 88-year old Cardinal Prosper Grech, a non-elector chosen during General Congregation, after which both he and Marini will exit to the Sala Regia, the doors will be locked and sealed, and the good stuff will begin. The first balloting will take place around 5pm.

Archbishop Piero Marini, 18 April 2005. © Reuters/Osservatore Romano

Sealing the Sistine Chapel, Conclave 2005, ABC News

The process of voting is also steeped in ritual. One the first day of voting, only one ballot, or scrutiny, takes place. The cardinals take their seats at long tables along the sides of the chapel and hand write the candidate of their choice on a small card on which are written the words, “Eligo in summum pontificem…” (I elect as supreme Pontiff…). These cards are anonymous and the electors are asked to disguise their handwriting. This was not always the case; until 1945, the cardinal's name would also be on the ballot, folded over so that it would be hidden until the time that the election was concluded. In this way, it would be known, at least for the final scrutiny, who voted for whom. This was necessary because of old rules that prohibited a cardinal casting the deciding vote for himself (in certain cases).

Papal ballots for the Conclave that elected Pope Pius VI, 1775, Vatican Secret Archives

One by one, the cardinals approach the bench where the Camerlengo (Papal Chamberlain), in this case Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Pietro Bertone), and his three assistants, (chosen by lot and called Scrutineers) sit. The cardinal-elector will hold his folded vote card above his head and place it in the Goblet of Fire ceremonial urn, reciting an oath in Latin, vowing that he is voting for the person he thinks should be elected. This is to prevent the electors from casting “courtesy votes” that can prolong elections .

Conclave ballot urns

Once all the cardinals have voted, the first Scrutineer mixes up the votes, which are then taken out and counted. If the number of votes does not correspond to the number of electors, they are burned without being opened. If the number is correct, they are opened one by one, passed amongst the three Scrutineers and recorded by each of them in three separate ledgers. As the votes are recorded, they are pierced with a needle and thread over the word “Eligo,” and tied together so that none go missing.

Conclave voting register, 1775, Vatican Secret Archives

A 2/3 majority is need to elect a pope, although that rarely happens in the first scrutiny. On Wednesday, the scrutiny process will be repeated twice in the morning, sometime between 9:30 and noon, and twice in the afternoon, between 4:30 and 7pm. That is, unless a decision is reached before then. With the exception of the first scrutiny on Tuesday afternoon, ballots are burned after every two scrutinies, unless the pope is elected in the first of the two. This will make it difficult for those of us who want to try to catch sight of some smoke.

During the election of former Pope Benedict XVI, I witnessed only one emission of smoke, on the first day, which was, of course, black. I was very disappointed to miss the white smoke, and especially his first appearance. This year, I will do everything I can to be there, for the Habemus Papam at least, if not the smoke, even if that means leaving work and hopping in a taxi the moment I hear word. I have been assured that from the time the smoke emerges from the chimney to the time the new pope appears, about 30-45 minutes will pass. Fingers crossed! I only pray he that the new pope, whoever he may be, will not be elected on Thursday evening, as I have tickets to the opera!

If a pope has not been elected by the end of Thursday, Friday the cardinal-electors will take a day off to pray, and voting will resume Saturday. In a new rule Benedict XVI issued in 2007, after 33 scrutinies, or 10 days of balloting, another day of prayer is taken, and a run-off vote between the top 2 candidates takes place. It’s unlikely that this will happen, if the trend of very short conclaves of the past half-century continues. All but one conclave since 1939 has taken 2 days or fewer.

So the Scrutinies are finished and a pope has been chosen! It’s time for the big moment! As soon as one of the cardinals receives the minimum 2/3 majority, the cardinals will burst into applause. The Master of the Papal Liturgical Celebrations Marini and the Dean of the College of Cardinals, 85-year-old Angelo Sodano, will be invited back into the chapel, at which time Sodano will approach the newly elected pope and ask, “Do you accept your canonical election as supreme Pontiff?” You’d probably think, what cardinal would turn down such a position? (Even though the resignation of Benedict XVI has proven that it's not every cardinal's dream to become pope). Cardinal (and later Saint) Carlo Borromeo turned the papacy down in the 16^th century.  But if the answer is yes, as soon as the elected cardinal says “Accepto,” he is officially the pope. He will then choose his papal name, often to show his respect and admiration for a previous pope, and each cardinal will take turns kneeling before him to show their homage and obedience. The white smoke is sent up and Rome knows she has a new pope.

White Smoke from Sistine Chapel Chimney, Conclave 2005

The new pope will then retire into the small Sala del Pianto through a door to the left of the high altar, which I had the opportunity to visit briefly in 2009. 

Sala del Pianto, Vatican

There three sets of papal vestments will be laid out, in sizes small, medium, and large. An anecdote has it that upon the election of Pope Jon XXIII, even the largest size was too small and a tailor had to be summoned to adjust it to fit the portly new pontiff. The “Room of Tears” is so called because the newly-elected pope is often overcome with emotion once he is alone, breaking down to cry.

Sala del Pianto with Three Sizes of Papal Vestments

After he is dressed, the new pope will walk back through the Sistine Chapel, through the Sala Regia and out onto the Benediction Loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica. 

Freeze Frame from Habemus Papam by Nanni Moretti

He will be proceeded by the senior Cardinal-Deacon, Jean-Louis Tauran of France, who will proclaim those famous words,

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum (I announce to you a great joy):

Habemus Papam! (We have a pope!)

Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum Dominum (The most eminent and most reverend Lord),

Dominum … Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem …

(Lord [First Name] Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church [Last Name]),

Qui sibi nomen imposuit …

Who takes for himself the name of [Papal Name].

First Papal appearance of Benedict XVI, 18 April 2005. Sydney Morning Herald

Then to the roars of the crowd, the man himself will appear and give his first Urbi et Orbi (To the city [of Rome] and to the world) Apostolic Benediction. Hereafter, he will only give this important (read: indulgence-granting) blessing on Easter and Christmas. Despite living in Rome for over eight years, through many Easters and Christmases and one papal election (so far), I have never been present for this speech. Here’s hoping I make it this time!

All of this will be happening in the coming week, so it’s a very exciting time to be in Rome. I will be posting a few more times leading up to the election Tuesday afternoon, with a list of the papabili (pope-ables) and a few ominous papal predictions that might give some insight into who the mystery man might be. So be sure to stop by often, or follow me on Twitter (@ThePinesOfRome) where I will be on #SmokeWatch from Tuesday evening until the big announcement!

Images sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 ,14, 15, 16, 17, 18

Click here for more images from past conclaves.

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Michelangelo's Last Judgment and Marcello Venusti's copy

As if you didn't need another excuse to visit the just-about-to-end Renaissance in Rome exhibit at Palazzo Venezia, here is one more and then I promise never to write about this mostra ever again!

Marcello Venusti created a copy of Michelangelo's epic Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel before the latter was brutally censored under Pope Pius IV in 1565. It was Daniele da Volterra who was forced to do the dirty work, against his will. He was one of Michelangelo's most devout and adoring followers and he agreed to censor the work only because he was told it would otherwise be destroyed.

Copy of Michelangelo's Last Judgement, Marcello Vanusti, 1549, Museo di Capodimonte, Napoli

The censoring included mostly the addition of cleverly arranged scarves in just the right places to sheild our eyes from the scandalous male frontal nudity that was not tollerated (at least not right over the high altar of the pope's private chapel) during the morally strict counter-reformation. 

One of the most dramatic changes that was made to Michelangelo's original was the position of Saint Blaise in relation to St. Catherine. Here is the censored version in Michelangelo's original:

Detial from The Last Judgement, Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1536-1541, Cappella Sistina, Musei Vaticani, Città del Vaticano

Notice that in Venusti's copy above (which we can assume was true to Michelangelo's original before it was censored), not only is a very burly St. Catherine completely nude, but St. Blaise is turned toward her menacingly in an not so decorous position. (These figures are on the right of the fresco, about halfway down.)

Venusti probably had no idea when he was painting his copy (the differs from the original at the top with the addition of God the Father and the Holy Spirit in the form of the dove) that it would become a useful historical record to document what Michelangelo's work looked like before the censoring.

The Last Judgement, Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1536-1541, Cappella Sistina, Musei Vaticani, Città del Vaticano

Seeing Venusti's copy up close at the Renaissance in Rome exhibit was for me one of the most interesting parts of the exhibit, and yet another reason to visit it if you haven't already. Below are links to a few more posts I wrote about the exhibit, and you'll find information on visiting at my Exhibits on Now page.

The Renaissance in Rome: in the footsteps of Michelangelo and Raphael

Running into some old friends at an exhibit

Long-lost paintings by Michelangelo and Caravaggio: are they or aren't they?

Photo sources: 1: courtesy of Arthemisia Group Press Office; 2, 3

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